It does, but it also gives you greater sharpness and more consistency (since you use it once and discard it). You dilute just before use, and only as much as you need from the undiluted stock solution.

I didn't intend to use replenisher, so I won't be re-using the D-76. Actually, after reading the health warnings on the D76 packet, I ordered a packet of Xtol.

I will have to give the 1:1 a try later though, just to see the trade-off with increased sharpness vs. coarser grain.

The main reason you don't start with 3.8 litres of water before mixing D-76 is that you'll end up with too much water. The powder adds volume to the developer. Start with 3/4 of the final volume, mix in the powder, and then top up - that ensures you don't end up with a final product that's too dilute.

Jim MacKenzie - Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

A bunch of Nikons; Feds, Zorkis and a Kiev; Pentax 67-II (inherited from my deceased father-in-law); Bronica SQ-A; and a nice Shen Hao 4x5 field camera with 3 decent lenses that needs to be taken outside more. Oh, and as of mid-2012, one of those bodies we don't talk about here.

That's interesting. I can do 25 rolls of 135-36 in D-76 diluted 1;1 (3.8 litres divided by 150 mL of stock solution per roll). Some say you need more than 150 mL per roll but I've never found it to be the case.

Well they even put a limit on the replenished solution on the next page which I thought was funny, seeing that if you follow the correct guidelines and there is no contamination, continued replenishment should make it last nearly forever if using regularly. I guess it is to be safe on their end. Even things like fixer have somewhat conservative capacities I think, but I follow them anyway as skimping in these departments is false economy.

I'm going to have to shoot another roll before I can let you know how this D76 turns out.

After pouring the remaining D76 stock solution I had originally made into a bucket, I added about 0.63L of water, stirred it a bit, then poured it back into my accordion bottles.

As I was putting my 120 roll of exposed Delta 100 into the changing bag, I made the mistake of taking the elastic band I had wrapped around the roll off before I put the roll in the bag, and as I let go of the roll, it unfurled a bit.

I quickly closed the two zippers and put my hands in the arm holes. After 10 frustrating minutes, I figured out I was trying to load the film onto the reel from the wrong direction. After I turned the reel around, the film went on easily and I managed to get it wound onto the reel and separated from the backing paper and tape. With the reel tightly sealed in the tank, I set about developing it.

I followed the same set of developing instructions I had used successfully the first time to develop two rolls of 35mm film with a couple of modifications. Since I now had Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent, I added that to the process after a 30 second water rinse following the fixer stage. Having used the HCA, I washed the film with water for 5 minutes instead of 20-30 minutes.

After 30 seconds in Photo-flo and washing off the suds with water, I opened the tank, and to my horror, was able to see clear through to the center of the reel!

Alas, the only things on the otherwise clear film were a couple of light leak marks near the beginning of the roll and the edge markings.

Not sure what happened here.

I think perhaps I may have loaded the film into the back backward, though I have never had this happen when shooting color film.

The only other thing I can think of is a problem with the back.

Luckily, I shot identical photos with color film in my other back, which I picked-up from my lab today.

I think I'll load both backs with Delta 100 and then shoot and develop both to see if there is a problem with one of my backs, unless someone can think of a developing explanation for my results.

Thanks for reading my tale of (relatively minor) woe!

Last edited by memzilla; 04-06-2013 at 11:13 PM. Click to view previous post history.

D76 mixing error

Did you see the brand and film type edge markings on the clear roll? If you can read it clearly then development was fine and it was something else causing the blank roll. if it was completely clear either the developer is the problem or you put in fixer first.

Film loaded backwards

OK. I just examined the discarded backing paper, and I definitely loaded the film backwards. When I removed the film on the take-up spool from the back, the black side of the backing paper was on the outside. This explains why I needed to use a rubber band to keep the roll from unfurling. I will re-shoot and report back.